A teenager from Middleburg, just southwest of Jacksonville, was killed in a car accident when the vehicle he was riding in reportedly hit a pickup truck at an intersection.
According to information from the Florida Highway Patrol, a 20-year-old man was driving a 2001 Ford Escape in the early hours of August 30 on Normandy Boulevard. At one point, he ran a red light, which led to him crashing directly into a 2007 Chevy Z-71 pickup truck traveling through the intersection.
The deceased individual was a 17-year-old boy who had just started his senior year at Middleburg High School. Three other people, including the drivers of both vehicles and a passenger from the pickup truck, were sent to UF Health to be treated for serious injuries. Their conditions were not immediately available. Investigators say the 17-year-old boy was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash, which could have contributed to the severity of the fatal injuries he suffered.
All drivers have a duty of care to anyone they share the road with to operate their vehicles safely and obey all traffic rules and regulations. By running through a red light, the 20-year-old likely breached that duty of care, and thus might be considered at fault for the accident. However, the fact that the teen boy was not wearing a seatbelt could potentially reduce the liability of the Escape’s driver.
To learn more about how to proceed with a personal injury claim after a serious car accident, consult a knowledgeable Jacksonville lawyer right away.
Attorney Mark Link contributed to this blog post.